Careful
Paramore Lyrics
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A twisted up frown
Disguised as a smile, well
You would have never known
I had it all
But not what I wanted
Cause hope for me
Was a place uncharted
And overgrown
You'd make your way in
I'd resist you just like this
You can't tell me to feel
The truth never set me free
So, I did it myself
You can't be too careful anymore
When all that is waiting for you
Won't come any closer
You've got to reach out a little more
More
More
More, more
Open your eyes like I opened mine
It's only the real world
A life you will never know
Shifting your weight
To throw off the pain
Well You can ignore it
But, only for so long
You look like I did
You resist me just like this
You can't tell me to heal
And, it hurts remembering
How it felt to shut down
Can't be too careful anymore
When all that is waiting for you
Won't come any closer
You've got to reach out a little more
More
More
More, more
Truth never set me free
The truth never set me free
The truth never set me free
So, I'll do it myself
You can't be too careful anymore
When all that is waiting for you
Won't come any closer
You've got to reach out
Can't be too careful anymore
When all that is waiting for you
Won't come any closer
You've got to reach out
More
More
More
More, more
In Paramore's song Careful, lead vocalist Hayley Williams sings about the struggles of settling down and feeling like something is missing in one's life. The lyrics describe a feeling of being trapped and unhappy, despite having everything that is supposed to bring happiness. Williams portrays herself as someone who is initially resistant to change, worried about taking risks and putting herself out there. However, as the song progresses, she appears to have found the strength to push herself out of her comfort zone and reach out for what she wants.
The repeated phrase "you can't be too careful anymore" serves as a warning against living in fear and letting opportunities pass by. Williams encourages the listener to open their eyes to the possibilities around them and to not be afraid of taking chances. The song's overall message is one of empowerment and not settling for less than what you truly want and need in life.
Interestingly, Careful was released as a single in 2010 and was featured on Paramore's album "Brand New Eyes." The album was produced by Grammy-Award winning producer Rob Cavallo and proved to be a commercial success, debuting at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart. The album's release was accompanied by a world tour that featured performances in North America, Europe, Asia, and South America.
Line by Line Meaning
I settled down
I became comfortable with where I was in life
A twisted up frown
I was unhappy beneath the surface
Disguised as a smile, well
But I tried to hide it with a fake smile
You would have never known
And no one could tell from the outside
I had it all
I had everything I thought I wanted
But not what I wanted
But in reality, it wasn't fulfilling
Cause hope for me
Because my aspirations
Was a place uncharted
Were unexplored and unknown
And overgrown
And had been ignored for too long
You'd make your way in
Someone would come into my life
I'd resist you just like this
But I would push them away like this
You can't tell me to feel
Others can't force me to feel certain ways
The truth never set me free
And the truth about my situation didn't make me feel better
So, I did it myself
So I took control and made changes on my own
You can't be too careful anymore
I can't be overly cautious anymore
When all that is waiting for you
Because what I wanted wasn't just going to come to me
Won't come any closer
It wouldn't come any closer without effort
You've got to reach out a little more
I have to put in more effort to achieve my goals
Open your eyes like I opened mine
I had to see things differently to make a change
It's only the real world,
This is just how things are in reality
A life you will never know
Not everyone can understand my experience
Shifting your weight
Trying to move past the pain
To throw off the pain
To try and forget about it
Well, you can ignore it
But ignoring it is only a temporary solution
But, only for so long
Eventually it catches up to you
You look like I did
I see myself in you
You resist me just like this
But you are pushing me away like I did to others
You can't tell me to heal
Others can't force me to heal from my pain
And, it hurts remembering
And it's painful to think back on it
How it felt to shut down
How it felt to close myself off emotionally
The truth never set me free
And knowing the truth didn't make me feel better
So, I'll do it myself
So I have to take matters into my own hands
Can't be too careful anymore
I can't keep being overly cautious
You've got to reach out
I have to make more effort
More
More
More
More, more
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Hayley Nichole Williams, Joshua Neil Farro
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind